


The Traveler’s Truce

by HiFunctionSociopath



Category: Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Brotherly Love, Dragons, Gen, I made up a new race, No Dungeons & Dragons Knowledge Required, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Short Story, Travel, Very large weasels, Very little if anything taken from DnD, it was just the fandom I thought fit the most, some mild peril, the main characters are very big gerbils
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:29:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28083216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiFunctionSociopath/pseuds/HiFunctionSociopath
Summary: Characters:Eskel: Dark speckled chestnut, smart, kinked tail, has a staff that doubles as a weapon and balanceLambert: Glossy black, very athletic, bigger of the two, carries all the stuff because Eskel can’t be trusted with the fundsRenfri: Small dragon, just a baby, lost and wants to go home, will set you and everything you love on fireSetting:Medieval with kingdoms, lots of mountains and valleys, set over about four days in summer
Relationships: Original Character & Original Character





	The Traveler’s Truce

**Author's Note:**

> This was the final assignment for a Creative Writing class. I had to write a short story and I recently got new gerbils so this is what was created.

The day they found the dragon, Eskel and Lambert were arguing. Again.

“Do you even know where we’re going?”

“Definitely,” Lambert snarked. “I _definitely_ know where we’re going and this map that you bought off that sketchy trader is _definitely_ correct.”

“He said it was credible and the best map he had!”

“Doesn’t mean it’s actually correct, Eskel!”

Eskel sat down on his haunches and threw his staff on the ground, wrapping his kinked tail around his feet petulantly, “I’m sick of walking in circles!”

“Well if you’re so smart then you find your own way to the city,” Lambert huffed indignantly as he turned and started to walk away from Eskel at a fast clip, ears back. “I’m taking the supplies though. Gods know you can’t be trusted with our money.”

“Wait! No!” Eskel yelped. “You have the food!”

“Well, you better come on then!” Lambert called over his shoulder.

“You are insufferable!”

“And you love me for it.”

“How did I end up with you for a brother?” Eskel called, running quickly after Lambert, who was gallantly sauntering away, as though all the ladies in the world were watching, his fur glistening in the afternoon sun. He caught up to Lambert and came to walk beside him.

Lambert gazed at their surroundings carefully. They had found themselves in a valley between two huge mountain ranges and were currently trying to cross a boulder field; that was what was causing them the most trouble. They kept walking around and around because the boulder field felt more like a maze. Lambert hissed quietly to himself and stood tall on his large hind feet to scent the air.

“Eskel!” Lambert hissed. “Do you smell that?”

“Smell what?” Eskel asked, but then quickly balanced himself tall on his toes. Replicating his brother’s stance, using his staff for balance because of his kinked tail. He turned to Lambert in dismay, “Sulfur. I smell sulfur.”

They both looked around at the surrounding boulders, cautiously scenting the air. The rocky ground felt hot and hard under the soles of their furred hind feet. 

Eskel could hear a slight hissing noise coming from a large outcropping of rock to his right and started to stalk toward it cautiously, giving Lambert a slight gesture to follow him. Eskel cautiously peered into the crack in the rock that the sulfur smell was coming from and saw nothing. He pulled back and turned to Lambert.

“There’s noth-”

He didn’t even manage to get the words out. 

Suddenly, Lambert was shrieking and flailing around in the dirt with a bright red _thing_ attached to his face! 

“Lambert!” Eskel cried and rushed to help his brother. He ripped the scaly little demon off and held it in one outstretched paw. 

Lambert spit blood out of his mouth from the split in his lip and said, “Aha! I thought so! Everyone knows that dragons smell like sulfur.”

The tiny dragon hissed and spat bright blue flame at them, glaring from where it was held in Eskel’s tight grip. A tiny voice hissed, “Let me go!”

“Why?!” Lambert asked incredulously. “You could have killed me!”

“And I still might, foul beast,” the dragon growled. “If you don’t let me go right now, I’ll set you, your friend here, and everything you own ablaze!”

“Ha!” Lambert laughed. “You’re tiny! I bet you couldn’t even set a leaf on fire.”

Suddenly, Eskel yelped as the dragon started to heat up in his grasp, blue light emanating from underneath red scales. The dragon dropped to the rocky ground, and the acrid odor of sulfur grew until it nearly suffocated the two jerboas, who had fallen back in surprise. The dragon puffed itself up and spat a thin stream of bright blue flame at the nearest scraggly tree, which burst into flames Eskel and Lambert could feel from twenty yards away. The tree was quickly nothing but a pile of smoking ashes.

“Do you fear me now, peasants!” the tiny dragon roared.

“Who are you?” Eskel asked calmly, not betraying how terrified he actually was.

“I am Renfri,” the dragon- Renfri- screeched. “Daughter of King Foltest of the Northern Kingdom.”

“You mean to say you’re a princess?” Lambert asked incredulously. “If you’re from the Northern Kingdom why are you in the Eastern Kingdom?”

“I-” Renfri paused, looking down at her claws. “I might have run away…”

Eskel and Lambert looked at each other in surprise.

“I need to talk to my brother over there,” Eskel said calmly.

“Fine but give me your bag,” Renfri demanded, tiny wings flapping. “I’ve decided you are going to escort me home and I’m keeping your supplies hostage.”

Lambert grudgingly handed over his bag which Renfri promptly sat on smugly. Eskel trotted behind the nearest boulder and Lambert followed him, teeth clicking angrily.

“I don’t think she can fly,” Eskel said to Lambert matter-of-factly when they were both behind the boulder. “She would have just flown away from us. Instead, she was hiding in a hole.”

Lambert sighed, “I think you’re right, otherwise she probably would’ve gone home by now.”

“I say we propose a Traveler’s Truce,” Eskel whispered. “We bring her home to the Northern Kingdom, and she puts in a good word for us with the King _and_ guides us out of this cursed valley.”

Lambert sighed louder and shuffled from foot to foot in a contemplative manner, bouncing up on his toes and back down onto his haunches, “That could work. I really want to get out of here.”

“So we’re doing it?” Eskel grinned, holding his paw out to Lambert. “The Traveler’s Truce?”

Lambert grabbed Eskel’s paw and shook it once, “Let’s go then.”

The two jerboas made their way back around the boulder to stand in front of Renfri, who had curled up in a little ball on Lambert’s satchel. She lifted her head and stared at them with slit pupiled eyes, head cocked at a questioning angle.

“We propose a Traveler’s Truce,” Eskel declared, head high. “We bring you home and you get us out of this valley safely.”

“We would also like to be provided a map when you are delivered safely to the King,” Lambert quickly added.

Renfri looked at them consideringly; she really did want to go home and she missed her family, “I accept your terms. Shall we get a head start before dark?” she announced and hopped off of Lambert’s satchel.

Lambert quickly snatched up his bag and swung it over his shoulder, glaring at the dragon. Eskel looked at him with a small smile visible in his eyes, “We’ll have to move swiftly if you want to return home before the week’s end,” Eskel told Renfri slyly.

“That’s not possible!” she replied. “It is over a hundred miles to the mountains.”

Lambert laughed, a sharp gravelly clicking noise in his throat, “You’ve never met a jerboa before, have you, kid?’

“No, but I’ve heard stories.”

“Well, we’re the only creatures in the Five Kingdoms that can get you home by the week’s end,” Lambert said, positioning his bag more securely. A few feet away, Eskel was strapping his staff to a leather harness that Lambert had pulled out of the satchel. Lambert gestured to Eskel’s staff, “You might want to hold on.”

Renfri harrumphed, but complied, tightly wrapping herself around the staff.

“Got a good grip? You have to give us directions,” Eskel asked kindly and grinned when she nodded. He walked to stand beside Lambert and looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “How many miles are you shooting for before dark, brother?”

“Hmm, I’d say fifty,” Lambert reckoned. “Seeing as there are only a few hours of good daylight left.”

“You’re on,” Eskel provoked, and leaped forward on his hind legs.

The two jerboas raced in and out of the boulders at Renfri’s instruction, their powerful hind legs eating up the ground in huge leaps, front paws tucked up against their chests. They swiftly executed hairpin turns around the boulders and Renfri marveled at how, despite his kinked tail, Eskel could make them almost as gracefully as his companion. Renfri decided that she liked Eskel. He was kind to her whereas Lambert was sharp in a way she couldn’t explain like he was trying to hide beneath his own wit. She jolted and shouted to go right around a boulder before telling them to slow. It was getting dark and they needed to find shelter.

Eskel and Lambert slowed to a stop and glanced around at their surroundings. There were fewer boulders now and the terrain had started to get greener the further north they got. In fact, the boulder field had all but ended, and they were on the edge of a large grassy plain that gradually sloped upward to pass through the mountains. 

“Looks like we’re going to have to make our own shelter tonight,” Lambert huffed. “I hate digging.”

“The quicker we start the quicker it’s over,” Eskel cajoled. “Renfri, will you go try and find something for us to eat? I saw some marrow worm holes back a little ways. Do you think you can manage those?”

Renfri nodded and scampered off back the way she came, looking over her shoulder just as Eskel started to dig. Dirt was flying into a large mound behind him as he made quick work of the soft soil, halfway inside a hole by the time she had turned away. 

Lambert took over from Eskel once the main tunnel had been dug, rounding out the sleeping area and making sure the walls were sound. It would be just big enough for the three of them. 

Renfri bounded toward them dragging a few marrow worms behind her, “I got some!”

“Well done!” Eskel exclaimed and took them from her as Lambert crawled out of the tunnel.

“Great,” Lambert grumped. “Let’s eat so I can sleep.”

Eskel glared at Lambert but handed him a marrow worm, which Lambert promptly bit into contemptuously. Eskel sighed and bit into his own, nodding at Renfri in thanks. 

They ate quickly and cleanly while the sun set. They were all looking forward to sleeping after such a long day. 

After they’d finished, they all crawled into the tunnel with Lambert at the lead. Lambert curled up and Eskel curled up on top of him. He gestured for Renfri, and she wound herself up into a tight ball at Lambert’s side. Lambert huffed but let it happen, and the three of them quickly fell asleep.

~~~

The next morning, Renfri woke first and blew hot air in Eskel’s face to wake him. He grunted and nuzzled into Lambert's neck fluff a little more. Lambert snorted and Renfri proceeded to blow hot air in his face which promptly woke him up.

“Oy!” Lambert yelped and pushed himself up, promptly knocking Eskel off his back and waking him up too.

Eskel groaned and pushed himself into a stretch once Lambert had exited the tunnel before swiftly exiting himself. By the time the jerboas had risen, Renfri had already gotten them all breakfast. 

“Eat swiftly,” Lambert instructed the other two. “I’d like to make it to the foothills of the northern mountains today.”

“How far is that?” Renfri asked. “Something like 150 miles, right?”

“That’s right, little sister,” Eskel replied. “We are very capable of that distance in one day.”

“Well, we’d better head out soon then,” Renfri said, biting into her breakfast.

Eskel hummed in agreement and Lambert, for once, also agreed with the little dragon. They ate swiftly, and Lambert repacked what he had taken from his satchel. 

Eskel picked up his staff and strapped it to his back once again, and Renfri curled around it tightly. Lambert walked over to where the other two were looking out over the valley.

“Ready to head out?” Lambert prodded. 

“Yep!” Eskel chirped, and Renfri nodded in agreement.

“Alright let’s go.” 

They leaped forward once again to begin the long trek through the valley. Their feet ate up the ground in long bounds, and their tails streamed behind them, keeping their balance. Renfri opened her wings and closed her eyes to smell the clean, morning air, and feel the wind lift her up slightly on her outstretched wings. 

_I wonder if this is what it feels like to fly,_ She thought and smiled.

~~~

The group passed through the mouth of the Eastern Kingdom valley and into the valley of the Northern Kingdom. They didn’t look back and just kept running. It was past midday now and they had many miles to travel.

The Northern Kingdom had far more trees than the Eastern Kingdom and they were huge and full. It made traveling more difficult as they had to slow down quite a bit. The large trees blocked out the sun and shadows fell on them as they traveled along the forest floor. Lambert lifted his nose to the air and he could smell the faint scent of sulfur on the breeze that blew sluggishly through the trees. They were close to the base of the mountains or at least within a 20-mile radius of it. 

“We’re nearly there!” Renfri exclaimed. 

Lambert nodded to her and they kept moving.

The further they got, the thicker the trunks got, and the denser the trees. They had to slow considerably the last ten miles or so because the forest felt as though it was pressing in on them. The smell of sulfur got stronger but was nearly drowned out by the smell of pine, while the amber needles of the pines were thick and soft under their paws.

The sun was slowly going down and throwing shadows across their path through the forest. The evening light played tricks on their eyes as it flickered through the thick canopy far above. Before long, they had made their way to the foot of the mountains. They were still in the trees but the ground had started getting rocky, and the dragon smell was strong.

Eskel looked around at their surroundings carefully, “We’d better set up camp. I think we can get away with sleeping in the open tonight because of all the trees.”

“I agree,” Lambert said. “I hate digging.”

Eskel rolled his eyes fondly at his brother, and Renfri giggled from her perch on Eskel’s staff. Lambert, unexpectedly, grinned and laughed as well. 

“Let’s set up camp then,” Eskel grinned back. “Lambert, would you get some fallen branches for a lean-to? We can cover it with pine needles.”

“Sure,” Lambert agreed. “Renfri can come and gather needles.”

Eskel watched the other two leave and started to think as he went off to find their supper. 

_Being with Renfri for only a day and a bit has changed Lambert’s demeanor towards her,_ Eskel thought. _Maybe all he needed was someone as prickly as him to give him a push in the right direction. They seem to be getting along really well._

Eskel found some softer roots that he knew were edible if not tasty, and brought them back to camp, keeping his eye out for anything else they might be able to eat. By the time he got back, the lean-to had already been set up and Renfri was dragging in piles of soft pine needles. Lambert looked up as Eskel trotted into camp.

“Hey!” Lambert called. “Did you find anything to eat?”

“Not much, but it’ll be enough for now,” Eskel grimaced, holding up the roots.

Lambert scowled and grabbed the roots, passing them out to each of their party, “Well I guess this is dinner then.”

They ate in silence but by the time they were ready to sleep, Lambert’s demeanor had softened some. They laid down underneath the lean-to, Lambert settling himself on top of Eskel. Renfri curled herself on top of Eskel as well and tucked herself partially underneath Lambert’s fluff. 

The three of them fell asleep like that and Lambert didn’t even protest Renfri’s closeness.

~~~

The sun filtered softly through the boughs of their lean-to the next morning, and the warm sun on their faces was a nice way to wake up before the big day they had ahead of them. Lambert found them a quick breakfast and slung his bag over his shoulder. 

“We’ll make it to your home today, Renfri,” Eskel grinned at her.

“We get you home and you get us a map of the Kingdoms,” Lambert added.

“The mountains are dangerous,” Renfri reminded them. “We might not arrive today. We’ve been lucky so far but many dangers lurk in the Northern Kingdom.”

“Like what?” Lambert growled. “You didn’t tell us of this before.”

“Eh,” Renfri shrugged. “The main problem is very rare. We won’t encounter it.”

Lambert looked at her furiously but Eskel was busy strapping on his staff, “We best get moving. Renfri, hop on.”

She and Lambert glared at each other but she wrapped herself around Eskel’s staff all the same. 

The three of them took off toward the mountain. They ran past areas where rocks had fallen down the mountainside. When they began their ascent, their pace slowed drastically as they made sure to keep their footing on the uneven ground. Slowly but surely they made their way up the mountain. The sun that had greeted them that morning was shrouded by clouds so it seemed dark out because of them; the sulfur smell that filled the air clogged their senses. Lambert’s ears twitched nervously, and Eskel’s eyes darted from one boulder to the next. Powerful creatures or not, they were still prey. 

“Something doesn’t seem right,” Lambert said softly, glancing around furtively. “I feel too exposed up here.”

“What do you mean?” Eskel asked.

Lambert turned to talk to his brother but he wasn’t there. Instead, Lambert stared in horror as one of the boulders moved and unfurled to reveal a long thin body with short legs, a short tail, and a head with small ears. The creature was huge, easily the size of the nearest boulders, and blended in with the surroundings perfectly. 

“Everything is perfectly fine,” the creature mocked in Eskel’s voice, and before Lambert could shout, the creature pounced and everything went black.

~~~

Some time later, it was hard to tell how long, Lambert woke up in the dark. He could smell Eskel and Renfri because of the tell-tale scent of sulfur that Renfri emitted.

“Eskel?” he whispered.

“I’m here,” Eskel whispered back from the darkness.

“What happened?” Lambert asked.

Renfri’s voice piped up, “Exactly what I’d hoped wouldn’t.”

“Which would be?”

“We were captured by an Erminea. I’m guessing we’re in its den,” Renfri hissed, and Lambert felt her touch his paw. “They are the main predator in these mountains, and they can mimic voices to lure in their prey. They also have a coat that can shift depending on their environment, so they are almost impossible to spot despite their size.”

“So what does that mean for us?” Eskel asked.

“It probably plans to eat us,” Renfri replied. “They save food in a cache for later.”

They heard footsteps along the tunnel, and Renfri leaped and dove into Lambert’s bag as the Erminea stepped into their line of sight.

“Dinner is noisy,” it growled. “Wyrm doesn’t like noisy food.”

Lambert audibly gulped and the Erminea- Wyrm- growled. The growl reverberated through the tunnel and made the two jerboas’ teeth rattle in their skulls.

“What do we do?” Eskel hissed. “We can’t just get out with that thing there.”

Wyrm shuffled around the tunnel before leaving the way he came.

“Ermineae are very simple-minded,” Renfri said quietly to the two jerboas. “We can trick him and get out. This tunnel system is probably very long and likely connects up with the tunnels underneath the palace even if he doesn’t go near them.”

“How do you know so much about them?” Lambert growled at her.

“Northern Kingdom 101,” she shrugged back. 

“If we can trick him, we could definitely find our way to those tunnels,” Eskel whispered. “We can find our way through tunnels fairly easily.”

“I’ll distract the Erminea and you guys run,” Lambert suggested. “I’ll catch up.”

“Sounds good to me,” Renfri chirped. “Let’s go before he comes back”.

The three of them ran off down the tunnel until they came to a fork. 

“I’ll take this one,” Eskel offered, and thumped his foot down hard on the stone. The sound reverberated down the tunnels and Eskel listened intently. “This way!”

They ran off down the right tunnel and continued for a while, listening to the sound of the Erminea moving through the tunnels around them. It was wailing and shrieking in its search for them so they kept moving. They hit more forks in the tunnel which were handled the same way as the first.

They darted down another tunnel, and a wall caved in next to them! The Erminea burst through the newly made tunnel and jumped out in front of them, snarling ferociously and baring its teeth at them.

“Dinner ran away,” Wyrm rumbled. “Wyrm is hungry!”

Eskel nodded at Lambert with an accompanying ear flick and Lambert darted past Wyrm and into the tunnel he had created. Wyrm roared and charged after him, leaving the tunnel unnaturally still and silent in his wake. 

“We need to go!” Eskel shouted, grabbing Renfri and starting to run down the tunnel.

“What about Lambert?” Renfri yelped.

“He’ll be fine!” Eskel huffed. “We just need to make it to the palace!”

Eskel ran as fast as his legs could carry him and as the tunnel would allow. The tunnels sloped upward and the smell of sulfur was starting to get stronger even underground.

“We’re getting close!” Renfri exclaimed. “I think this tunnel connects up with the palace tunnels up ahead!”

Sure enough, the tunnel had started to narrow so much that it would likely not be able to encompass an Erminea any longer. By the time they burst through into the royal tunnels, Eskel had been getting worried he wouldn’t be able to fit. 

Renfri jumped off Eskel's staff, and raced down the new tunnels, leading the way. The slope was no longer gradual, and the acrid smell of sulfur was becoming overpowering. Eskel heard pounding feet on the corridor and saw two dragon guards come into view.

“Hey!” Renfri called to them. 

Their eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her.

“Princess,” the bigger of the two gasped. “How-”

“No time,” Renfri gasped out. “Two jerboas found me and on a Traveler’s Truce, agreed to bring me home.”

“I only see one jerboa,” the other guard pointed out. “You said two.”

“Wyrm has the other one,” Renfri said solemnly. “They helped me get home. We need to save him.”

“Go to your father, princess” the bigger dragon ordered. “We can handle Wyrm.”

The guards headed off the way Eskel and Renfri had come, and Renfri led Eskel through the corridors of the Northern Kingdom’s palace. The further in they got, the more dragons they saw. Eskel held his head high and looked into their eyes despite the worry he felt for his brother. They stared at him as they passed and bowed to Renfri, welcoming her home.

Renfri led him to a large set of golden doors deep within the palace, which had high arching ceilings and walls adorned with beautiful paintings and tapestries. There were two large dragon guards at the door who nodded to Renfri and looked at Eskel with suspicion.

“He’s fine,” Renfri stated, and the guards pushed the huge, golden double doors open.

The throne room of the palace of the Northern Kingdom was huge with soaring ceilings. Everything was in some shade of red or gold, and pillars were lined up down the sides of the center. Each pillar had perches up and down either side, and those perches all contained dragons. Eskel looked around in awe and when he looked up, he saw that the arched ceiling was painted with battle scenes of the Northern Kingdom. Looking toward the far end of the hall, Eskel could see a giant throne with a regal red dragon lounging atop it, smoke curling from his nostrils. Horns arched above his head, and vast leathery wings were partially folding and resting partially on the back of the throne. 

They walked down the center of the room and Eskel felt the eyes on him with every step. His ears were twitching nervously and he was tenser than he'd ever felt in his life. He and Renfri stopped at the foot of the throne, and Renfri looked up at her father who stared down at her.

“I’m sorry, father,” Renfri apologized, head bowed. “I should not have run away.”

King Foltest tilted his head, “No, you should not have. You worried your mother,” he paused, “and myself.” 

Renfri looked up at him hopefully, “This is Eskel, father. He and his brother brought me home on a Traveler’s Truce.”

“What did you agree on then?” King Foltest asked.

“They wanted an accurate map of the Kingdoms,” Renfri confided. “They are nomads but often lose their way on the account of bad maps. That’s how we met. They were stuck in the boulder jungle.”

“I see,” King Foltest contemplated. “A map can be arranged. I have the Kingdom’s finest cartographer sent for at once.” He tilted his head again, “Where is this second jerboa then?”

The big double doors opened once again and Lambert stepped through them. Eskel’s ears came up and a smile came across his face.

“That’s him,” Renfri told her father.

Lambert saw Eskel, and without any decorum, sprinted across the throne room of the Northern Kingdom. They crashed into each other, and Eskel wrapped Lambert in a tight embrace.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Lambert whispered.

“Me?” Eskel exclaimed incredulously. “You were the one being chased by an Erminea!”

They heard a throat being cleared behind them. They turned to see King Foltest raising one regal eyebrow at them. 

“Sorry about that,” King Foltest coughed awkwardly. “Wyrm is our gatekeeper but not many know that. He’s usually allowed to eat anything trespassing on our mountain.”

“We’re lucky Renfri was with us then,” Eskel grinned at the small dragon.

“Now that you’re out of harm's way, shall I have someone lead you to your quarters for the night?” King Foltest asked. “I’ve had your requested map sent for and it should be here by morning.”

“Yes please, your majesty,” Lambert bowed his head respectfully. “It was an honor to bring your daughter home and meet you.”

King Foltest gestured for the guards to bring Eskel and Lambert to a spare bedroom. They walked through more hallways that had doors lining the walls and more paintings and tapestries. The room they were led to had a dip in the floor piled with blankets and pillows like a nest. The walls were a soft green, and a big window on the far wall looked out over the forest they had passed through and the mountains beyond. The room smelled like pine and less of sulfur, and the only light was that of the setting sun streaming through the window. A big platter of dried fruits and nuts was waiting for them on a table in the corner. The wooden floor under their paws was smooth and worn. Eskel smiled and looked to Lambert at his side. 

They didn’t need words as they moved synchronously after the door had been shut behind them to take off their meager belongings and lean them against the wall next to the door. They ate the whole tray of dried fruits and nuts between the two of them and promptly collapsed into the nest after they had finished with their meal. The nest was warm and soft and probably the nicest place they had slept since they left home as pups. They curled up together and swiftly fell asleep.

~~~

The sun pouring through the window fell on their faces the next morning. Lambert yawned and stretched, flattening himself and reaching out with his limbs. The two of them rolled out of bed and stared out the window, side by side. 

“This had been the longest few days of my life,” Eskel said softly, leaning into his brother.

“Didn’t ever think that we’d end up working with dragons,” Lambert agreed. “Wonder what Mama would think?”

“I bet she’d be proud,” Eskel smiled.

They ate the food that had been left outside the door for them and replaced their gear. Eskel laughed softly at the tiny claw marks that were indented on his staff as he shouldered it. They made their way back down to the main hall where King Foltest, Renfri, and a dragon cartographer were waiting for them. 

The cartographer presented Lambert with a rolled-up map, “This is the most accurate and largest map I have, sir. I hope it serves you well.”

Lambert took it and tucked it reverently into his bag, “Thank you.”

The two jerboas looked to Renfri and her father who were both looking back at them.

“Thank you for bringing Renfri home,” King Foltest praised. “I’ll have one of my people fly you down the mountain to avoid any more interactions with Wyrm.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” Eskel said gratefully. 

It had appeared Renfri could no longer hold herself still and she threw herself at Lambert and hugged his nose tightly before doing the same to Eskel, “Please visit?” she whispered. “I’m going to miss you even though I’ve only known you for a few days.”

“Of course,” Lambert grinned. “We’ll miss you too but we best be on our way. Who knows where we’re going next.”

They were guided out the main doors of the palace and onto a large platform where a huge, bright blue dragon awaited them with a large basket on the ground next to him.

“Sirs,” the dragon addressed them. “Please get in the basket, and I will take you down the mountain. I’ll drop you off just past the Sea of Trees near the mountain pass.”

The brothers jumped into the basket which was picked up by the blue dragon in one enormous paw. The beating of gigantic wings signaled their lift off, and the wind whistled in their ears as the rocky mountainside rushed past far below. They soared over the forest they had run through with Renfri and felt the sun on their faces, whiskers dancing in the wind. 

They were going places, those two. They just didn’t know where yet. They had the whole world in front of them full of endless possibilities and adventures.

~~~

The End

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to see art I’ve done for this and pictures of what Eskel and Lambert look like, [head on over here.](https://picturesforwrittenworks.tumblr.com/)


End file.
